Time moves slowly in the Inner Banks, North Carolina. The gateway to the barrier islands of the Outer Banks, the string of small towns and small cities includes Edenton, Greenville and Washington.
The Inner Banks may not get the amount of attention devoted to the Outer Banks and other popular North Carolina destinations, but that’s a positive for a visitor.
Expect gentler prices at a bed and breakfasts, uncrowded historic sites and chefs who may fly under the radar, but are just as devoted to quality cuisine. You can also find local Southern specialties like fried green tomatoes, biscuits, vinegar-based barbecue and Cheerwine, a cherry-flavored soda.
Charming Getaway in Edenton
The historic small town of Edenton, part of Chowan County, is the perfect introduction to the delights of the Inner Banks Region.
This gem of a spot has an adorable downtown and, if you like historic buildings, you can find many National Historic Landmarks and places on the National Register of Historic Places. Edenton was the first colonial capital of North Carolina and the Battle of Albemarle Sound was fought here during the Civil War.
Take an hour-long trolley tour to see historic sites. You can go kayaking on Edenton Bay to enjoy the scenic waterfront from another perspective. Or canoeing in Merchants Millpond State Park, where you have to watch out for alligators.
On the first Sunday of every month, downtown hosts a block party with food trucks and live music.
The 1767 Chowan County Courthouse, a National Historic Landmark, is the oldest colonial courthouse still in use in the United States. The 1758 Cupola House, a National Historic Landmark, is a historic house museum with lush gardens maintained by local volunteers.
Penelope Barker House Welcome Center
Another historic house museum, the Penelope Barker House Welcome Center, was built in 1782. You can buy trolley tour tickets here, and see portraits of the people who lived here.
Edenton also has a historic lighthouse, open for guided tours. The 1886 Roanoke River Lighthouse is the only surviving screw-pile lighthouse in the state of North Carolina.
It originally guarded the mouth of the Roanoke River and was moved twice; to land where it was a family home, and to Edenton’s waterfront. You can only see the interior by guided tour for $2.50 per person.
Hayes Farm
The South confronts its plantation past at Hayes Farm. Walk, run, or drive over the small bridge from Edeton waterfront to Hayes Farm. The farm, owned by the State of North Carolina, is becoming a public historic site.
For now, you can walk the trails, see the gardens, Albemarle Sound, and the outside of the manor home. When I visited in the spring of 2024, we got to see some of the interior, but it was not yet open to the public.
There are also many original structures on the property, including cottages where enslaved people lived and worked.
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Edenton Cotton Mill Museum of History
Cotton was an important product in Edenton, and the Edenton Cotton Mill, now condos, allowed money to stay in the local economy.
Walk around Mill Village where the workers lived; families are moving in and renovating the small houses. The Cotton Mill Museum, open on Saturdays, is in the old Cotton Mill Office building. Artifacts include a package of the last yarn produced by the Mill, in the 1900s, when the textile industry moved from eastern North Carolina.
Cotton Gin Culinary
Cotton also lives on, in name only, at Cotton Gin Inn Culinary. This food pop-up, in the back of a gift shop, A Still Life, offers cooking classes and dinners on select nights. We got to experience a special 3-course lunch and I could see planning a trip to Edenton just to eat here again.
Edenton Bay Trading Company
We joined trivia night at Edenton Bay Trading Company. The store sells wine and beer to go, or to enjoy indoors or out. We sat in the courtyard with a lively crowd, drinking wine and testing our knowledge (or lack thereof).
Washington, NC
Washington, aka Little Washington, is in Beaufort County, North Carolina. This historic city is ideal for a romantic getaway, at the fabulous Elmwood 1820 Bed & Breakfast.
After a gourmet breakfast served in fine china, you can hike nearby, rent kayaks or bicycles, or wander the downtown. The North Carolina Estuarium has free boat trips on the Pamlico River.
Pamlico River Waterfront
Washington has a park and boardwalk on the waterfront. Sit in an Adirondack chair and enjoy the view, or bring a book and relax. If you are staying at the Elmwood Bed & Breakfast, you can also sit on the porch and read.
Underground Railroad Museum
I remember as a kid learning that the underground ‘railroad’ wasn’t actually a train, it was a network of people transporting slaves to freedom. So schoolchildren might be confused as to why the Washington Waterfront Underground Railroad Museum is located in a railroad caboose.
But anyone visiting should go to this museum, a National Park Service “Underground Railroad Network to Freedom” site, which brings the stories of enslaved people seeking freedom in Beaufort County to life.
Greenville North Carolina, not South Carolina
Every time I told someone in New York I was going to Greenville, they replied “South Carolina.” But there is also Greenville in NC.
The small city of Greenville, is only about an hour from Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina, but it has an adorable small town feel. It also has a huge influx of college students who attend East Carolina University.
First Friday Art Walk
Greenville has a monthly First Friday celebration, with live music, open galleries and lots of food for sale. There is a free trolley that takes you around downtown.
Pitt Street Brewing Company, which also has a Washington location, has food trucks on Friday and Saturday nights. On other nights, there is live music, comedy, and trivia. There are several tasty IPAs, along with other beer types, most only $6 a pint.
Crush
This distillery and cocktail bar started when the owner of SUP Dogs (see below) realized he was the No. 1 vodka buyer in North Carolina. Vodka is used in the signature orange Crush SUP, which also includes freshly squeezed orange juice and Sierra Mist. The vodka is made with clean, organic flavors, including orange and grapefruit. And the bar features creative craft cocktails.
Farmers And Makers Market
The indoor Farmers and Makers Market specializes in items made, grown, or designed in Eastern North Carolina. You can get barbecue sauce to bring home, locally roasted coffee beans and gourmet chocolate. I bought “Virginia” peanuts grown in the state.
Where to Eat in the Inner Banks Region
The Herringbone On The Waterfront
In Edenton, The Herringbone On The Waterfront turned a 19th-century icehouse into a wonderful place to eat and look out on the water. The interior preserved historic elements from when Edenton was known for the herring pulled from the Albemarle Sound. Herringbone serves modern American cuisine, with wedge salad, wood-fired pizzas and seafood (no herring though).
The Hackney
In Washington, The Hackney is a James Beard-nominated destination restaurant with its own gin distillery. Some of the entrees included tomato risotto, pork chop with morels and oysters and shrimp and grits.
Native Fine Diner
Native in Greenville, updates a classic diner with Southern food, fresh produce and great cocktails. The diner is in a 1903 restaurant space.
SUP Dogs
In Greenville, SUP Dogs has hot dogs, hamburgers, salads and fries made of pickles or green beans (or potatoes). The Orange Crush SUP cocktail originated here.
Breakfast at B’s Barbecue
The line starts at B’s Barbecue before 9 am when the take-out window opens. The no-frills place (no phone, no bathroom and no vegetarian option) is for carnivores and keto enthusiasts – breakfast is a big platter of meat.
You can sit at a picnic table or tailgate in your truck. North America has many styles of barbecue. This is the traditional NC style of pork cooked overnight, with a vinegar sauce.
King’s Deli
I had lunch at King’s Deli, the casual offshoot of Starlight Café and Farm. I had a delicious and healthy salad at this lunch only place, which uses produce from its own farm, and local cheese and meat. I am eager to return to Greenville to eat at the fancier Starlight.
Other Inner Banks Towns
If you have more time to explore the Inner Banks region, check out Elizabeth City, Swansboro, Hertford and New Bern.
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